Plot: What’s it about?
If you’re a fan of mixed martial arts contests, then you have to have heard about Pride FC: Grand Prix Finals. This is the legendary event where Kazushi Sakuraba faces Royce Gracie in a mammoth fight, one which lasts over ninety minutes. The bad blood between the two fighters is obvious, as both men seek to not only defeat their opponent, but also do so in convincing fashion. Sakuraba even breaks out some humor in the fight, pulling Gracie’s uniform over his head and even trying to pull down Gracie’s pants. But as good as this match is, the Grand Prix Finals has other contests also, so this wasn’t the sole reason to watch the event. This intense card also features such fighters as UFC veteran Mark Coleman, Igor Vovchanchyn, Akira Shoji, Mark Kerr, and Pride regular Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge, among others. I’ve seen a lot of the Pride events and the Grand Prix Finals is one of the best ones available, without a doubt. I highly recommend this excellent two disc set and of course, make sure to pick up the Grand Prix: Opening Round set, as well as other Pride releases. So as not to spoil the outcomes for first timers, I’ve only included the first round of fights below, but this is a tournament, so more matches are here.
1. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Royce Grace
2. Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Gary Goodridge
3. Akira Shoji vs. Mark Coleman
4. Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Mark Kerr
5. Masaaki Satake vs. Guy Mezger (Bonus Match)
6. Alexander Otsuka vs. Ken Shamrock (Bonus Match)
Video: How does it look?
The event is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. As this was a live event taped for this release, the video is not up to the usual DVD standards, but then again, I doubt anyone expects to be. I watched this event on Pay-Per-View as it unfolded and the image here looks just as good, though much sharper and more refined. The colors look bold and true, while flesh tones are natural throughout. The contrast is well balanced, so detail is high and all the action is seen in crystal clear form, as it should be. I did see a couple compression errors, but on the whole, this is about as good as the Grand Prix Finals can look, so no complaints.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital stereo option does all you could ask for, with heavy hits and solid overall presence. The in match sounds come through in fine form also, no thin presence or gimmicky effects used here. The crowd is loud and clear also, while the announcers are easy to understand and remain well balanced with the other elements. As far as this material goes, you couldn’t ask for a whole lot more, so solid work here indeed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a reel of Grand Prix highlights, as well as a brief featurette on the history of Pride FC.
